High season is both a bane and a blessing. It means longer waits at restaurants and horrendous traffic. I live just over two miles from the church and some nights it takes me forty-five minutes to get home! But high season also means pews are full and all our folks are here. On balance, I love high season!
It is probably trite, even clichéd, to observe that life often works that way. But like most clichés it is rooted in truth. Over and over again I have discovered that with every challenging thing in life there is a corresponding joy. Of course that's easier to say in a vacuum than it is to affirm in the midst of the challenge itself!
It's not just a matter of positive thinking, however. It is also a matter of being willing to take on the challenges. Somewhere I read recently that there is a significant difference between optimism and hope. I think this bane/blessing, challenge/joy thing may be at the core of that truth. I know some things will not end well or the way I want them to turn out. But that doesn't mean all is lost. That doesn't mean there can't be some joy in the midst of it.
Of course, I might feel otherwise when I'm driving home tonight. But, hey, at least gas is cheaper these days!
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